Former senator from Kaduna State, Shehu Sani, has criticised the decision by President Bola Tinubu to rename the University of Maiduguri after former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The announcement was made on Thursday during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held in honour of Buhari. According to the presidency, the school will now be known as Muhammadu Buhari University, Maiduguri.
The move has sparked mixed reactions, especially from students and alumni of the university, many of whom believe the renaming was unnecessary and poorly timed.
Reacting on his official Facebook page, Shehu Sani said the university should remain as UNIMAID, a name it has carried with pride for decades.
“Many former and present students of University of Maiduguri are not happy about the renaming of their prestigious university, but they are shy or afraid of rejecting or condemning it because of the person whose name was used,” Sani wrote.
He added, “It’s not that difficult to say that UNIMAID should remain UNIMAID and nothing else. So far, all our airports and train stations have been renamed.”
The University of Maiduguri, established in 1975, is one of Nigeria’s leading federal universities and a major centre of learning in the North-East.
Shehu Sani’s comments have added to the growing debate over the increasing trend of renaming national institutions after political leaders.